Actuating mechanism for timepiece date indicator



1969 o. BENNETT ETAL v 3" ACTUATING MECHANISM FOR TIMEPIE-CE DATE INDICATOR Filed March 50. 1966 Sheet 015 INVENTORS I Mama 0 Bay/v6 1 1404, J Mafia-1? Jan. 14, 1969 w. o. BENNETT 'ETAL 3,421,311

ACIUATING MECHANISM FOR TIMEPIECE DATE INDICATOR Filed March 30, 1966 Sheet INVENTORS M40 14 0. 66/Y/V6'77' ALL/4M 4/ M07??? Jan. 14, 1969 w. o. BENNETT ETAL 3,

ACTUATING MECHANISM FOR TIMEPIECE DATE INDICATOR Filed March 30. 1966 Sheet 3 I INVENTORS MzL/AM 0- 5Wl rr BY muxm MZZ? United States Patent ()fice 3,421,311 Patented Jan. 14, 1969 3,421,311 ACTUATING MECHANISM FOR TIMEPIECE DATE INDICATOR William 0. Bennett, Bayside, N. and William W. Mutter, Paramus, N.J., assignors to Bulova Watch Company, Inc, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Mar. 30, 1966, Ser. No. 538,840 US. Cl. 58-855 Int. Cl. G04]: 27/00 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates generally to actuating mechanisms for calendar timepieces, and more particularly to a mechanism including a manually-operated setting device to advance a date indicator Without disturbing the time indications of the timepiece, and a triggering arrangement Whose operation in no way interferes with the setting device, for automatically indexing the date indicator once a day.

In a conventional calendar watch or clock, it is known to include a rotatable date indicator ring having numbers 1 to 31 imprinted thereon in a circular path, one date at a time being visible through a window in the dial face. This ring is driven from a mechanism operated through the hour wheel of the timepiece to cause the ring to jump one date per twenty-four hour interval.

Since some months of the year have less than thirtyone days, it is necessary at the end of such months to advance the ring in order to skip over the excess number or numbers, thereby presenting number 1 on the first day of the next month. Normally this correction is effected by means of the setting crown which is first pulled out to engage a setting wheel for the time-indicating hands. The crown is then turned to actuate the date advancing mechanism.

Procedures for accomplishing date indication correction may vary, depending on the particular design of the calendar mechanism system. However, conventional systems require disturbing the time-of-day indication to change the date indication. Consequently, after the calendar correction is made, it then becomes necessary to reset the time-indicating hands.

Accordingly, it is the primary object of this invention to provide an actuating mechanism for a date indicator in a calendar timepiece, which mechanism acts automatically to advance the indicator one date per twentyfour hours, and is also capable of being manually corrected without upsetting the positions of the time-indicating hands.

It is also an object of the invention to provide an actuating mechanism of the above-noted type which operates reliably, and is of simple and rugged design, the mechanism entailing relatively few components Which are disposed adjacent the inner toothing of the date indicator ring, the mechanism functioning each day at approximately twelve midnight instantaneously to advance the ring one date.

A significant feature of the invention is that the manually-operated setting device of the actuating mechanism is operatively coupled to the setting crown of the timepiece, correction being effected without the need to pull out the crown or otherwise shift the axial position of the setting stem. To advance the date manually, the setting crown, while in its normal or in position, is turned in the clockwise direction until the proper date is indicated.

Briefly stated, these objects are accomplished by means of a date-indicating ring having an inner toothing which is engaged by a corrector finger projecting from a collar mounted on the crown stem of the timepiece, such that when the crown is at its in or running position and is manually turned, the ring is caused to advance one date for each revolution of the crown, without disturbing the time-indicating hands. Automatic daily actuation of the ring is efi'etced by a trip arm which is slidable against the action of a spring from a cocked or charged position to a discharged position, the trip arm having a nose thereon which when the arm is triggered is adapted to engage a tooth on the ring, thereby to index the ring.

A trip wheel, which intermeshes with the hour wheel of the timepiece and makes one full revolution per twentyfour hour period, carries a trip finger which cyclically rotates therewith within a contoured opening formed in the trip arm, the finger acting during its rotary cycle to cause said arm to slide away from its discharged position toward its cocked position, in the course of which movement the nose is withdrawn from the toothing on the ring. At midnight of each day the trip finger releases the springbiased trip arm, whereby the arm is abruptly urged toward the discharged position and the nose thereon makes contact with a tooth in the ring to advance the ring one step.

For a better understanding of the invention as well as other objects and further features thereof, reference is made to the following detailed description to be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the essential components of an actuating mechanism in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the cocked position of the trigger device of the actuating mechanism at about 11:59 p.m., when it is ready to trip;

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the trigger device at midnight shortly after it has tripped, the trigger device being in its discharged position; I

FIG. 4 shows in plan view the position of the trigger device at about 3:00 p.m.;

FIG. 5 shows in plan view the position of the trigger device at about 7:00 p.m., and

FIG. 6 shows in plan view the position of the trigger device at about 11:00 p.m; and

FIG. 7 is a plan view, in enlarged form, illustrating the time setting mechanism.

Structure of calendar actuating mechanism The actuating mechanism in accordance with the invention is constituted by a trigger arrangement which automatically indexes. the calendar ring once every twenty-four hours, and a manual setting device which operates independently of the trigger to advance the ring upon turning of the setting crown of the timepiece when the crown is in its running or in" position.

The watchworks are contained in a casing 10 and the time-setting mechanism therefore includes a stern assembly having a stem 11 whose upper end extends through an opening in casing '10 and terminates in a crown 12. The time-setting mechanism forms no part of the present invention; however, some of the parts thereof appear in the environment of the present invention, and these parts will therefore be described.

As best seen in FIG. 7, mounted on a square section of stem 11 is a clutch wheel 13 which is free to slide but not to rotate thereon. Clutch wheel 13 is shifted inwardly by clutch lever 14, which extends across an annular groove 40 in the clutch wheel, and engages a setting wheel 41 when the stem is fully retracted by its crown to the first or pull-out position. This pull-out position is the position for time-setting.

This action is accomplished by means of a setting lever 42 having an extension arm 43. Setting lever 42 is pivotally connected to stem 11, such that when the stem is pulled out, lever 42 swings about its pivot point 44, whereby the nose 45 of the setting lever pushes against the end of clutch lever 14, which in turn forces clutch wheel v13 inwardly into engagement with setting wheel 41. A spring 46 acts to normally urge clutch lever 14 in a direction efiecting disengagement of the clutch wheel and setting wheel, in which in position of stem 11, ratchet teeth 18a engages mating teeth 18b, such that when the crown is rotated, collar 18 also rotates to effect adjustment of date ring 16.

Setting wheel 41 intermeshes with minute wheel 47 on whose axle is mounted a pinion 48, which in turn intermeshes with hour wheel 15, such that with the stem pulled out to the time-setting position and the crown is rotated, minute wheel 47 is caused to turn, thereby setting the minute and hour hands in the usual manner. The hour wheel 15 make one revolution per twelve-hour period. Hour wheel 15 drives the automatic trigger device for actuating the calendar.

The date indicator is constituted by a fiat ring 16 whose inner periphery has a series of thirty-one teeth 17 formed thereon, each tooth being associated with a date imprinted or inscribed on the face of the ring. Ring 16 is, mounted for rotary motion on a base plae B within the casing below the dial plate, the dial plate having a window therein to expose a single date number at a time. Thus as the ring is advanced, the numbers 1 to 31 appear in sequence.

The manual setting device for the ring 16 is constituted by a collar 18 freely mounted on stem 11 and provided with a projecting finger 19 which is adapted to engage the teeth 17 on the ring to elfect correction of its position. Collar 18 is provided with ratchet teeth 18a adapted to engage mating teeth 18b on the clutch wheel 13, the toothed elements engaging each other only in the in position of the stem, and the ratchet teeth being so disposed that collar 18 is turned when stem 11 is rotated in the clockwise direction. The arrangement is such that should finger 19 happen to be in the patch of a tooth 17 on the ring when automatic date advance takes place, in the manner to be described hereinafter, the finger will be kicked out of the way.

Turning the crown in the clockwise direction when the stem is in the in or second position causes the corrector finger 19 to engage one tooth for each full rotation of the stern, thereby advancing the ring one date at a time, the detented position of the date ring being maintained by a pivoted detent 20 which engages the teeth 17 of the ring and is urged thereagainst by a spring 21. When the crown is pulled out, the cutch elements 18a and 18b are disengaged, since clutch wheel 13 is then caused to slide along stem 11 to engage the setting wheel. Hence rotation of the stem for purposes of setting the time-indicating hands cannot cause the manual setting device to advance the date indicator.

To resist free turning of the crown for a portion of each revolution, thereby preventing accidental advance of the date indication, a flat spring detent 22 is provided, the tip of this member engaging the corrector finger 19 and acting to prevent rotation of the stem until the spring force of this detent is overcome by the finger. Thus before finger 19 is permitted to engage a tooth on the calendar ring, it must first snap the detent spring 22. This introduces a hard turn portion in the stern revolution. In practice, when setting the date, one stops turning the crown after hearing the proper date indication and before reaching the hard-turn portion of a revolution.

The automatic trigger arrangement for the calendar ring includes a trip wheel 23 which inter-meshes with the hour wheel 15 of the timepiece and makes one full revolution per twenty-four hours. Mounted on top of the trip wheel 23 and rotating therewith is a trip finger 24 which operates in the counterclockwise direction within an opening 25 formed within the upper portion of trip arm 26. As best seen in FIGS. 2 to 6, the opening 25 has a generally semi-circular configuration, the contours of the opening relating to that of finger 24 therein being such that the finger never engages the circular wall portion 25a in the course of rotation but does make contact with a somewhat convex wall portion 25b and a projection 250 a notch 25d being situated at the junction of the projection and the convex portion.

The lower portion of the trip arm has a slot 31 formed therein within which is received a guide 27, the slot 31 extending to the lower edge of the arm. A nose 28 projects laterally from one side of the arm, which nose when the arm is tripped engages a tooth of the date ring to advance same.

A bumper 29 is secured to base plate B and makes contact with a cam portion 32 on the upper edge of the arm when the arm is in its triggered position. The trip arm 26 is slidable on the base plate B and the lower edge 33 thereof is engaged by a trip spring 30 which is arranged to urge the arm against bumper 29, the position of the arm being caused to vary as trip finger 24 rotates.

As will be explained in greater detail in the section to follow, the position of the rotating trip finger is such, shortly before midnight, as to dispose the trip arm in its cocked position. A moment thereafter, the spring biased arm 26 is released by the finger. The nose is thereby caused to engage and push a tooth on the ring to ad vance the ring one date, after which the arm which now abuts the bumper occupies its triggered position.

Operation of calendar actuating mechanism Referring now to FIG. 2, there is shown the position of trip finger 24 in a position wherein the trip arm 26 urged against spring 30 is cooked and is just about to be triggered. This occurs shortly before midnight, say at 11:59 p.m., just before the date is to be changed. In this position, the tip of finger 24 is about to leave the edge of notch 25d.

The finger in notch 25d acts against the force of spring 30 to push trip arm 26 to its cocked position in which the trough of slot 31 engages guide pin 27. Also in this position the arm is at its maximum displacement from bumper 29. It will be noted that the nose 28 of trip arm 26 lies in the space between the ring teeth 17A and 17B, the nose being close to tooth 17A.

When trip finger 24 rotates further in the counterclockwise direction, it leaves notch 25d, as a consequence of which trip arm 26 is suddenly released, and the arm, under the action of spring 30, slides abruptly toward bumper 29. In doing so, nose 28 is caused to engage tooth 178 on the ring to advance the ring one date number.

It is important to understand that the limit imposed by bumper 29 on the displacement of trip arm 26 could also be accomplished by closing in slot 31, whereby the guide pin 27 would then prevent further movement of the trip arm. However, the bumper has another function which cannot be carried out by guide pin 27, for when the trip arm 26 is triggered, the force of nose 28 on the particular calendar ring tooth engaged thereby may be so great as to cause the next tooth in the advancing ring to strike the rear of the nose. Should the guide pin 27 have been used to limit the arm movement rather than bumper 29, this striking force would cause trip arm 26 to swing about guide pin 27 thereby removing nose 28 from the path of the calendar ring teeth, and permitting the ring to advance an additional date. This action would of course be undesirable.

Bumper 29 therefore not only limits the displacement of the trip arm but it also functions to prevent a rotation thereof when the trip arm is triggered and a tooth on the calendar ring strikes the rear of nose 28. Bumper 29 also performs another function, for when rotating finger 24 presses against the convex wall portion 25b of the opening and the cam portion 32 of the trip arm abuts the bumper, as will be described in greater detail in connection with FIG. 4, this causes the trip arm to slide against the action of spring 30 as well as toswing about guide pin 27, whereby the sliding and rotating motions of the arm are concurrent.

The discharged condition of the trigger mechanism is shown in FIG. 3, where it will be seen that the cam portion 32 of the trip arm now lies against bumper 29, guide pin 27 now being near the mouth of slot 31, the projection 25c in opening 25 being banked against the side of trip finger 24. This is the posture assumed by the elements at twelve midnight.

Referring now to FIG. 4, there is shown the relative position of the various elements at about 3:00 pm. The trip finger 24 has in the period running from 12 midnight to 3:00 p.rn., traversed the semi-circular path adjacent the portion 25a of the opening, during which time trip arm 26 remains at its discharged position against bumper 29 until the convex portion 25b, is engaged. As the trip finger pushes against this convex portion, it causes trip arm 26 to withdraw nose 28 from between the teeth on the ring. In this action, cam portion 32 of the arm riding against the bumper, causes the arm to slide against spring 30 while the arm at the same time is caused by the finger to swing about guide pin 27, thereby retracting the nose.

When the tip 24a of trip finger 24 enters notch 250. at 7:00 p. m., as shown in FIG. 5, it pushes against projection 250 and causes trip arm 26 to slide away from the bumper, the sliding movement being guided by pin 27. This continues until about 11:00 p.m., as shown in FIG. 6, wherein the trip arm now has reached its maximum displacement from the bumper and is cocked. Between 11:00 pm. and 11:59 pm. as shown in FIG. 2, the trip finger proceeds to move out of notch 25d, during which time the cooked position of the trip arm remains unchanged, until suddenly when the finger is free from the shoulder, the trip arm is abruptly released to advance the calendar ring in the manner described previously.

What we claim is:

1. In a calendar timepiece having hour and minute hands and a rotatable stem assembly adapted in a first position to engage a setting mechanism so that said hands may be set manually, said stern having a second position in which said hands are disengaged from said setting mechanism, said timepiece including a wheel making a single revolution each twenty-four hour period and a dual actuating mechanism for advancing a rotatable calendar ring having a series of teeth thereon, one tooth for each of the thirty-one numbers appearing on the face of the ring, said mechanism comprising:

(A) a mechanical setting device for said ring manually to correct the setting thereof at the end of those months having less than thirty-one days, said device including:

(a) a collar freely mounted on said step and having projecting therefrom a finger adapted to engage the teeth of said ring, and

(b) means intercoupling said collar and stem only at the second position thereof whereby rotation of the stem causes said finger to turn said ring, and

(B) an automatic trigger mechanism to advance said ring one tooth per twenty-four hour period.

2. An actuating mechanism as set forth in claim 1, further including a detent spring engaging said finger to impart resistance to the rotation thereof.

3. An actuating mechanism as set forth in claim 1, wherein said means intercoupling said finger and said stem is constituted. by a two-part clutch, one element of which is integral with said finger and the other is arranged for rotation with said stem, said elements being disengaged in the out position of said stem.

4. An actuating mechanism as set forth in claim 1, wherein said trigger mechanism includes a trip arm having a nose thereon adapted to engage the teeth on said ring, and a trip finger operatively coupled to said wheel for moving said arm from a triggered position to a springbiased cocked position.

5. An actuating mechanism as set forth in claim 4, wherein said arm has a projection thereon which when engaged by said trip finger cocks said arm and when removed therefrom releases said arm to cause said nose to advance said ring instantaneously.

6. An actuating mechanism as set forth in claim 5, further including a bumper disposed in the path of said arm to limit the displacement thereof upon release and to prevent rotation thereof whereby said nose remains in the path of said teeth to prevent an advance of said ring in excess of one tooth.

7. In a calendar timepiece provided with an hour wheel and a rotatable stem assembly adapted in a first position to engage a setting mechanism so that said hour wheel and an hour hand thereon may be set manually, said stem having a second position wherein said hour wheel makes a single revolution each twelve-hour period, a dual actuating mechanism for advancing a rotatable calendar ring having a series of teeth on the inner periphery thereof, one tooth for each of the thirty-one numbers appearing on the face of the ring, said mechanism comprising:

(A) a mechanical setting device for said ring to manually correct the setting thereof at the end of those months having less than thirty-one days, said device including,

(a) a collar freely mounted on the stern of said assembly and having a finger projecting therefrom to engage the teeth of said ring, and

(b) means intercoupling said collar and said stem only at the second position thereof whereby rotation of the stem causes said finger to advance said ring, and

(B) an automatic advance arrangement to move said ring one day per twenty-four hour period, said arrangement including,

(a) a trip wheel operatively coupled to said hour wheel to make one full rotation per twenty-four hour period, and

(b) a trigger mechanism actuated by said trip wheel and adapted once a day to engage a tooth on said ring to advance same.

8. In a timepiece as set forth in claim 7, wherein said trigger mechanism includes a trip arm having an opening therein Within which is disposed a trip finger mounted on said trip wheel and rotating therewith, said opening being contoured and including a projection which is engaged by said finger in the course of rotation to slide said arm against the action of a spring, said arm at one end having a slot therein within which is received a guide pin secured to said base, the movement of said arm being limited by a bumper which engages the other end of said arm.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,082,594 3/1963 Stamm et al 5858 3,248,868 5/1966 Polo et al 5885.5

RICHARD B. WILKINSON, Primary Examiner. GARY M. POLUMBUS, Assistant Examiner. 

